This invention relates generally to additive manufacturing, and more particularly to apparatus and methods for inspection and process control in additive manufacturing.
Additive manufacturing is a process in which material is built up layer-by-layer to form a component. Unlike casting processes, additive manufacturing is limited only by the position resolution of the machine and not limited by requirements for providing draft angles, avoiding overhangs, etc. as required by casting. Additive manufacturing is also referred to by terms such as “layered manufacturing,” “reverse machining,” “direct metal laser melting” (DMLM), and “3-D printing.” Such terms are treated as synonyms for purposes of the present invention.
Prior art additive manufacturing processes typically require a post-build inspection process such as computerized tomography (“CT”) to verify the integrity of the build. While effective, this process requires undesirable extra time and cost.
Accordingly, there is a need for a real-time inspection process for additive manufacturing.